Travel and travelling was the best part of our summer vacation. It used to take three days, to reach Kerela from Calcutta via Madras. We used to take a break at Chennai(Madras) for a day at my Valiacchan's place and then move on. The hectic travel of two days used to ease down after this wonderful break gaining energy, to spend yet another day, again travelling.
The train journey was considered economically best for middle-class families in the era of '70s and early '80s as travelling by flight was very very expensive and luxurious. We used to travel by ordinary train and of course by second class. There were no electric trains or diesel train then, it was simple steam locomotive, so by the time one gets down, after a two days journey, one would be looking like a haggared vagabound. The coal dust emitting from the engines would cover up adequately making difficulty in recognition, unless one have a through wash/bath. The seat and sitting was yet another matter, for it wasn't comfortable at all. The seat was made of wood, so one had to carry the bedding, along with their food packages. Every passenger would be carrying a whole lot of bag and baggages. The railway station too, would be over crowded with vendors selling all sort of things, and of course, passengers, in course of boarding and evicting the train. The whole scenario was a hosh posh one, yet interesting, since the spirit of reaching to any distance place, fills one's heart with joy and excitement; so the hardship of travelling vanishes in minutes.
Seat and seating though not comfortable would again be a matter of fight among the siblings, "the window seat". It was the most comfortable one, for, the entire space between the adjacent seats would be blocked with luggage, moving about freely was a real exercise unless one knew monkey jumping. So, the window seat was very very precious. Not only does it keeps one away, from the pushes of the co -passengers, but also gives a view to the outside world. But the question of one having it was definitely a real problem. For most of the time, the allotted seats would be occupied by the wrong people and requesting them to spare it, was, like holding the bull by it's horn. Sometimes we would be very lucky to have this precious window seat and Amma would allot time to each one of us including her time of occupying. The view through the train window was wonderful, trees, fields, huts, mountains, bridges, rivers, valleys, tunnels what not. I used to wonder why the trees, poles, etc always used to move along with the train?? it was a big question? which was cleared by the science teacher, while teaching the law of relative motion. I always liked to watch the train turning on the bends and changing tracks. Night was again gloomy, as one, could'not watch anything, due to the darkness outside. Only twinkling lights far aside unless another station is approached. The sound of chai walas in a peculiar tone was very interesting "chai"chai....chai lelo would wake up anyone from a deep slumber and it was also an indication of the Stations covered and the destination left to be covered. In the midst of all this, would be the chitter chatter of the co-passengers boarding from different stop over stations, and "lol" if anyone is carrying babies, then it's a hell altogether. Crying babies, lullabies all is enough to keep one awake the whole night, adding to it would be the imminent sudden jerks of the train while putting brakes or waiting for the signals, which have a bone breaking effect if one is not holding on to anything. Thus the upper birth was a real real risky one.
Due to the busy schedules Acchan rarely accompanied us during vacations. We four, and Amma would be escorted by somebody known to Acchan, Acchan's friend or any relatives. So it was entirely a dependable situation on somebody else, which Amma never liked. The trains never used to have any pantry; food for the passengers was picked up from specific stations having railway canteens, and buying food from outside was costly plus unhygienic. Thus Amma made all efforts to check the basic necessities for all of us during the train journey, to avoid giving trouble to the stranger accompanying us. Amma was very particular about her morning coffee. This coffee was her energy booster which she never missed having. After her cuppa full she would rarely want anything else, morning coffee was a must for her. So she carried flasks full of hot water, coffee powder, milk powder, sugar etc. Next would be the breakfast items. We used to carry a trunk full of eatables. Bread, boiled eggs, achar, chutney, papads, murukku, tairru sadam, puri, sweets etc. All co-passengers too would be carrying home-cooked foods and would try sharing the same with each other. Thus a whole variety of food items would be shared.Two days would thus pass by having a variety of foods, playing,singing talking and knowing the co-passengers. We would also learn new games from other kids. Two days full-on howling shouting and masti. Train journey though hectic was a real fun for us kids.
We would reach Madras in the early morning hours of the third day as per the train schedule. Valiacchan (Acchan's elder brother) would be waiting to receive us. It was his ordeal for all our relatives who would be touching Madras and would be moving ahead to Kerela. There were trains which would directly be going to Kerela, from different parts of the country, with an hour's break at Madras Central Station. Valiacchan was very prompt to reach the station with a bag full of food prepared by Valiamma and would hand our the food packages to his relatives who wouldn't be re-boarding the train at Madras. This visit to Station with food was his practice and definitely a relief to the one's travelling and also a blessing to have home cooked fresh food. We too we're into this ordeal when Calcutta, started plying direct trains to Kerela. We were blessed to have Valiaccha and Valiamma and their love and concern which definitely gave us a solace from the two days hectic journey.
After receiving us, on the station, Valiaccha would take us all to his house on Mount Road and we all would be welcomed by Valiamma. After a through shower we would be relishing hot idlis and dosas prepared by Valiamma and would be waiting for our cousin sister to come back from school. Valiaccha was very strict in this matter he would never allow her to bunk school no matter what. This strictness of his groomed my cousin well and she achieved first division and first rank in all her classes and even in completing her Hindi Visharad. Madras/Chennai does not need Hindi speaking yet she completed it. She is now an officer in a reputed firm. Afternoon was wonderful, we all, along with my cousin would relish the Tamil cuisine made by Valiamma appalams, vadams, rasam, payasam what not. All would be chatting along the whole day and night too seemed too short for us. We would bade goodbye with a heavy heart promising to meet again after a long wait of another year.
This break journey/stop over, was a real booster for us all and we used to enjoy it a lot. We would get guidance and blessings from Valiacchan and he always used to gift us a pen. A pen given to me was kept very preciously by me for the tenth board exam. I wrote my exam with that pen and I though, an average student, could pass the exams fairly well. With my Valiaccha's blessings, I completed my studies and also got a Govt. job through competitive exams.
Life too is a journey, you just move ahead leaving behind the co-travellers and stations covered, into the hard disk of your memory. The unknown destination is yet to be covered......who knows what awaits there!!
Pic courtesy: Google pics
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